Invulnerable
by JediMasterDarjaak
Summary: After losing her dream, Lien Cheng decided on a new career to pursue in the USA. An unsmiling beauty, she thought she was invulnerable to love until someone turned her life upside down
1. Chapter 1

**Invulnerable**

From a young age, Lien Cheng, a Vietnamese only child, had longed to be a pilot, soaring among the sky with the freedom of an eagle. She had been determined to achieve her dream no matter the cost, and even from her first tentative steps in primary education, she had resolved that she _would not fail_ in reaching her goal. Rather than being light-hearted and spirited like many other girls her age, she had driven herself to be top of not only her class, but her entire school. Education took the front seat in her day to day routine, and the number of times she had genuinely relaxed could be counted on the fingers of one hand. As she grew, so did her intelligence, and soon it seemed just a matter of time until she became a pilot. On her eighth birthday, a friend of her father's had offered to take her up in his privately owned plane, a chance Lien had eagerly accepted. She had had the time of her life in just twenty minutes in the air, and had returned home in a state of rapture, something neither parent had seen from their stoic daughter before. However, that very night, a powerful storm had blown up, and a very powerful tornado had shredded her home. Both parents had died from their injuries in the storm, and Lien had been hurt more than she could ever say. During the tornado, a gas stove had exploded, and temporarily blinded the horror-struck girl. After two months of blindness, her sight had been fixed, but at the worst cost imaginable to her. Because of damage to her retinas, she would never be able to fly. With both parents dead and no relatives in Vietnam, she had been sent to a distant relative in the United States and enrolled in a school near New York. She had worked relentlessly in Climatology, in the hopes of unravelling how tornadoes worked so that she might help reduce the global death toll. After passing college with flying colours, she had been admitted to university and seemed destined to rise in the field of science.

However, there was one thing her landlord had decided to force on the Vietnamese student.

"You want me to _what_?"

The man sighed and passed a sheaf of papers to the irate student.

"That's right, you have to share your apartment with another girl."

Lien took the papers, her golden eyes flashing with anger.

"I've been in that apartment for three months by myself, why push someone on me now? Can't you put them somewhere else?"

"No, and you should have never had that apartment to yourself to begin with. Regardless of what happened. Now go, I have things to do apart from hear you bitching about having a new room-mate."

Cursing in Vietnamese, Lien left the campus and made her way back to her apartment in the rain, wondering what had happened to give her such bad luck. She pulled her bag higher up on her shoulder and glanced at the papers before pulling out her keys. It was early December, and all over the campus, Christmas decorations were being piled on heavily. Everywhere was festooned with bright Christmassy colours, although none had made their way into her apartment. As she neared her apartment block, she caught sight of her least favourite person in the world; Alfred Jones. The American waved cockily at her, earning him a death glare from the Vietnamese woman. She stomped inside and opened her door, dropped her bag on the floor and threw herself onto the couch. To say that she hated the American would be a gross mistake. Once, he had somehow found his way into her apartment whilst she was in a lecture, and had changed many of her books on aviation, climatology, meteorology and the like to ones that were about the USA. To add insult to injury, he had then written all over her walls that America ruled the world. When she got home to see the damage the thoughtless American had caused, she had lost her temper completely. Normally, Lien was socially awkward and kept to herself, but when pushed far enough, she was scary. She had found the guy's Canadian brother, who had tried to apologise for him, but persuaded him to tell her where Alfred was. She had then found the American and beaten him to a pulp in her fury, and tried her best to restore her apartment. After being taken in for questioning about what had happened, she had been forced to apologise to the American, although it was blindingly obvious that she hadn't meant a single syllable of her apology. She had had to relocate into a vacant, older apartment, and had grown used to being alone there. Simmering in anger, it was some two hours before she cooled down enough to make herself something to eat. She put the light on in her kitchen and lit the stove, thinking idly of making pancakes when there was a knock at her door. Frowning, she turned around and walked to the door.

"Who is it?"

A higher-pitched, happy sounding voice came back to her.

"I'm Mei Xiao, I was told this was my new room. Are you Lien Cheng?"

Lien ran a hand over her forehead.

"Yes. Alright, fine, come in."

She opened the door to her new room-mate and froze. Mei smiled broadly at her. To the stoic Vietnamese girl, the other person hit her like a firework display. Mei wore a bright pink raincoat, a long, almost floor length skirt of creamy white, and an expression of perpetual happiness. She carried two suitcases, a heavy rucksack, and a folded umbrella. Her smile didn't waver as she stared back at her, but eventually she spoke up.

"Well, can I come in then please? These things are kinda heavy and it's cold out here."

Shaking herself back into the present, Lien stepped aside, allowing Mei entry. The bubbly girl all but bounced into the small hallway, slipped off her shoes and entered the apartment itself. All the time, her smile didn't waver one bit.

"So this is where we live together? It's nice, I just LOVE your cushions! Pink lotuses are SOOO sweet! Which is my room?"

Lien followed Mei into the living room and pointed to the door on the far left.

"That room's yours. Do you need anything?"

All the time, Lien spoke and moved slowly, as if dazed by the colourful, bubbly girl. Mei whirled around, her eternal smile only widening as she looked at her room-mate.

"Oh, I'd love a drink! Do you have anything nice? The train ride here was just EXHAUSTING, and the food on it was SO expensive!"

Lien gave a half-shrug in response.

"Well nothing special, really, just pineapple juice, some milk and pepsi. Are any of those..."

She broke off as Mei suddenly hugged her, much to her surprise.

"Oh, thanks, those all sound nice! I'll put my things in my room, and come learn where everything is."

Mei entered the spare room, leaving the stunned Vietnamese girl alone. She wasn't sure just who to have expected for a room-mate, but a hyperactive, bubbly, almost immature girl had not been something she'd seen coming. She walked into the kitchen, turned off the stove, and decided instead to settle for toast. She was just finishing eating when Mei walked in, wearing a bright pink top she vaguely recognised as a piqao in place of her raincoat. Mei clapped her hands together and looked around.

"So where do you keep everything then? I'll need to know so I don't put the wrong things in all the bad places."

Lien spent the next ten minutes showing Mei where she kept everything in her kitchen. Despite seeming a bubbly airhead, Mei was an attentive listener, and soon knew where everything went. She nodded and turned to the living room next.

"What about in here?"

After another ten minutes of showing Mei around and mentioning a rule or two, the Vietnamese girl yawned unexpectedly. She shook her head.

"I'm tired out, I'm going to rest. At least tomorrow is Saturday."

Mei pouted at Lien.

"But I want to talk with you, you seem so nice! I want to get to know you and what you want to be when you pass your course and... everything!"

Lien shook her head and turned to walk into her room when Mei grabbed her hand. Surprised, Lien turned to look at the girl.

"Then let me tell you your fortune like we do back at home!"

Lien frowned.

"Back at home?"

Mei nodded eagerly.

"Oh yes, I'm from Taiwan you see, and I LOVE fortune telling!"

Lien shook her head again.

"Not tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."

Mei let go of her hand and sighed as Lien walked into her room. Just before she shut the door she called out to her.

"Goodnight, cutie!"

Lien shut her door, feeling a little perturbed by her new room-mate as she changed for bed. Mei seemed very happy-go-lucky and quite open about everything, but she couldn't say in all honesty that she disliked her new room-mate. Turning off the light, she got into bed and drifted off, a lullaby-like tune sounding from Mei's room as she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Invulnerable**

Lien awoke the following morning to the smell of something cooking. She opened her golden eyes and got out of bed, pulling on her light green dressing gown as she did so. She walked into the main room and into the kitchen, where Mei was bustling around, cooking. She jumped as Lien approached and smiled brightly at her room-mate.

"Good morning! I didn't know what time you'd be awake, so I decided to make breakfast for us both. The eggs are nearly done."

Lien turned to the fridge and opened it. It was all but empty except for drinks. She turned back to Mei as she closed her fridge.

"Just what are you making?"

Mei shook the frying pan over the stove and hummed away. She reached down to take out two plates, and began to serve up the food for herself and her room-mate. Baffled, Lien took the plateful of eggs, ham and spinach and reached into the cutlery drawer for a fork. Mei took her plate and began to eat, somehow managing to hum whilst doing so. Lien cautiously sampled the dish, and turned to Mei in surprise.

"This is really good. What is it, exactly?"

Mei shrugged and carried on eating. Lien studied the food and finished off her portion as well. After scraping the remains into the bin and putting the plate in the sink to rinse, she spoke to her new room-mate.

"I've got some errands to run today, are you going out as well?"

The Taiwanese girl nodded, her eternal smile never wavering.

"Yes, I need to get some more material, and I'm almost out of thread again. Where is it you're going?"

Lien shrugged.

"Mostly to the library, but I need to pick up some new books on meteorology. And I have to go food shopping too. I probably won't be back until late."

Mei looked at her new room-mate.

"So what is it you're studying anyway? Is meteorology just a hobby?"

Lien shook her head.

"I'm studying meteorology because it's what I want to go into when I leave university. I used to want to be a pilot, but I can't now."

Mei scraped off her plate and placed it in the sink with her cutlery.

"Why can't you be a pilot? Is it a medical reason or something?"

Lien shook her head.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Turning around, she left the kitchen and her slightly confused room-mate. Grabbing a towel, she walked into the bathroom and began to take a shower before heading into the city, taking meticulous care to wash her dark silky hair. When she was finished, she hastily brushed her teeth, wrapped a towel around herself and hurried into her room where she dressed in what strongly resembled a Vietnamese military uniform for women. She brushed her hair and heard the taps running, meaning that Mei was taking a bath. Picking up her black rucksack, she walked to the door of her apartment and shouted back to Mei.

"I'll be back later on."

Mei shouted something incoherent. Lien made sure the spare key was in plain sight before shutting the front door and making her way downstairs. She pushed open the front door and stepped out into the cold morning air before making her way to the nearest bus stop to make her way into the city. The ground was lightly dusted with frost, and small puddles of water had frozen over. The sky was clear, and the sun was shining weakly in a futile attempt to warm the ground. Lien stood at the bus stop and waited patiently. It wasn't long before she was sat on a bus, waiting patiently for her stop. Fortunately, the bus was all but empty. She took out her mobile phone and was considering playing some music when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking around, she scowled, although her expression soon lifted. Initially a close lookalike, Matthew Williams could be told apart from his younger brother if one knew where to look. Overall, Matthew looked gentler and was a much quieter person, so much so that sometimes people ignored him as if he were invisible. The timid Canadian spoke up, although even in normal tones, his voice was hard to hear.

"My brother said he saw you last night, I'm sorry if he annoyed you again."

Lien sighed and shook her head. Despite how much she disliked the crass, rude, idiotic American, she actually liked the quiet Canadian. Once, after getting into a fight and forgetting her university books, Matthew had happened by, found her bag, and taken the time to return it to her. She spoke up as the bus slowed down.

"No more than he has done in the past. He just smirked and waved at me when I was on my way home."

Matthew looked relieved and nodded.

"How is your meteorology course going?"

Lien shrugged.

"After Alfred's prank, I need to get new books, so I'm doing that today. In uni, we're right now studying more about tornadoes."

For the rest of the trip, the two made small talk until Lien's stop came up. She picked up her bag and nodded to Matthew.

"Take care, I'll see you soon."

"Y-you too, Lien."

The bus stopped and Lien got out, making a beeline for the nearest bookshop. Five minutes later, she was poring over a very interesting looking encyclopedia of meteorology, and silently debating whether or not to buy it. She checked the price, decided to do so, and picked it up when a book on tornadoes nearby caught her eye. It was recently printed, and had the latest theories on tornado formation, the outbreak in 2011 in Tornado Alley, and even referenced the disaster that had affected her personally. She picked it up, trying to banish the memories that flashed through her mind when she walked headlong into another girl, knocking them both to the floor. She got up and shook her head.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

The other girl picked herself up with a bright smile, seemingly unfazed by being knocked over.

"It was probably my fault too."

The girl Lien had walked into had a bright smile, although not quite as bright as Mei's. Her hair was a bright shade of blonde, and ran down to her shoulders. Her eyes were green, and her smile was almost catlike. Before Lien could say anything, the other girl spoke up excitedly.

"Oh, I've seen you before! You're that girl from Vietnam, aren't you? Lien something."

Lien nodded slowly.

"Lien Cheng, yes."

"My name is Emma. Emma Fontaine. I'm from Belgium. I've seen you around the university from time to time, but I don't think we've spoken properly before now."

Lien moved to join the line of people waiting to pay for their purchases. Emma followed her, a large book about chocolate tucked under her arm. Soon their purchases had been paid for and Lien exited the shop. The Vietnamese girl idly wondered whether or not she'd see the Belgian again as she made her way to another bookshop to search for more books. As she rounded a corner, she nearly walked right into none other than Alfred Jones. The American grinned at her.

"Hey there, Madam Cheng, how are ya babe?"

Lien didn't lose her temper easily, but the idiocy of the American more than warranted an exception in her opinion. Regardless of her frown, the American pulled her into a hug when a quieter voice spoke up.

"Alfred, leave her alone. She doesn't like you."

Matthew was nearby. The shy Canadian looked very uneasy at the scene playing out before him. He didn't want his Vietnamese friend to be humiliated by his brother, but neither did he want to have to hurt Alfred to make him let her go. Lien took the decision out of his hands and forcefully kneed the American jock in between the legs. Gasping in pain, Alfred let her go. Lien glared at the American viciously.

"It's lucky for you that your brother is here, or I'd break your nose, you brainless hậu môm. Stay the hell away from me."

Walking past quickly, Lien simmered in anger the whole time she was in the next bookshop, unintentionally frightening a sales assistant who asked if she wanted help. After paying for her new books, Lien decided to go to the local library for some studying. She walked across the city slowly, still fuming over Alfred. When she got to the library, she saw to her relief it was all but empty. Most students were likely using the weekend to go to the cinema or hang around with friends or shop. Lien hadn't been to the cinema in years, and as for friends... Her mood mellowed as she reflected on her poor social life. She had very few friends, and of the ones she did have, it was rare for them to meet up. The last time she'd met up with them had been in August, when they'd gone to a party together. They still corresponded and said hello in university, but Lien was a studious bookworm absorbed in her work. Whilst it endeared her to her tutors, it meant her social life was all but non-existent. She blinked as she found herself on the top floor of the library, where all the old non fiction books were. She mused to herself she must have been walking on autopilot again and picked out a heavy book entitled 'Theories on the development of tornadoes'. Minutes later she was lost to the world as she read the old book. It had been published in the 1970s, but contained a lot of information she found interesting, even if a good portion of it was obsolete. She glanced up at her watch as she turned a page, and her eyes widened on seeing it was already past two. Deciding to get the grocery shopping done, Lien closed the book, replaced it on the shelf and exited the library. She caught a bus back to the university campus and walked to the nearby supermarket. She idly wandered around the aisles when she saw one of her few friends also food shopping. Tino Vainamoinen was a kind soul from Finland who was also studying with her. The gentle Finn was a welcome change from some of the other guys she'd encountered, and was very smart too. Today, he wore a light cyan outfit not too unlike her own, as if styled after a Scandanavian military uniform, and his usual white beret. Just as she debated whether or not to greet him, the brown-eyed Finn looked up and saw her. He smiled warmly.

"Good afternoon, Lien. Not shopping in the city?"

Lien moved closer to talk to the friendly Scandanavian. Upon first meeting him, she had mistaken him for a girl, something Tino had later said he was more than used to. If he took offence to it, he didn't show it.

"No, I've done my shopping today and I'm just picking up my groceries. How's Berwald?"

Tino nodded as he listened to her.

"Oh, he's fine. Still calls me his wife. Gets a few looks off people, but, well, I don't care. I _do _love him, even if it's rare for him to show a smile."

Lien nodded as she selected a few cans of soup for fast food.

"You've been together a while now haven't you?"

"Seven months. I was _very_ surprised that he made the first move. I'd been told things by Gilbert Beilschmidt, but a lot of things said by him are, well..."

"Suspect to belief?"

Tino laughed.

"Exactly. Well, it was nice to chat with you Lien. Are you going to come to the dance on the 21st?"

Lien looked uneasy.

"Are you selling tickets?"

The Finn nodded and pulled some out of his pocket.

"Just $3 each. Worth it. Maybe you could come with Matthew Williams?"

The Vietnamese girl flushed red instantly at the thought of inviting the Canadian to a dance.

"W-w-we're not into one another that way. H-he's just a friendly guy and..."

Tino chuckled.

"I know, I was just teasing you Lien."

Lien relaxed, although her cheeks were still red. She shrugged as she wandered towards the frozen foods.

"I'll find you on Monday, I need to ask my new room-mate if she's interested."

"Alright then, I'll see you Monday. Take care Lien!"

The Finn turned and went to pay. Lien hovered around the frozen foods for a while before picking out what she wanted, and then walked to the counter. On the way home she wondered about whether or not to go to the party. She had gone to one in April, where Matthew had blushed crimson whilst asking to dance with her. Never mind that she hadn't been wearing anything more flattering than her day to day clothes, Matthew had been an absolute gentleman to her. They hadn't danced much before a certain trio of friends had induced mayhem at the party. A drunken Frenchman had gone over the top and stripped naked in front of everyone, much to her disgust. As if the perverted Frenchman wasn't enough, a Spanish man had also got drunk and forced the dance to be called off. Lien wandered across the campus grounds before reaching her apartment building. She walked inside and climbed up to her apartment, knocking to see if Mei was there. There was no reply, so Lien unlocked the door and walked in, carrying the groceries. She set about putting their food away, wondering if she would indeed go to the party on Monday. Once the food was away, she retreated to her room and began a long, difficult essay she had to complete on supercell thunderstorms. Unlike many people her age, Lien didn't use a laptop to complete her work, instead relying on writing by hand. She carried on writing until almost four, when she got up to put her bedroom light on. She sat down again almost immediately and carried on finishing off her essay. Outside there came the light patter of rain blown against her window, and quite suddenly, Lien found herself remembering the night the tornado had devastated her home town. Against her will, she remembered the blinding flash of light that had damaged her eyes, and shook her head, as if doing so would dull the images from the past. She knew that even blind, she would continue to see such things forever, although such flashbacks were very rare. Rubbing her temples, she sighed and continued to work, finally finishing off the essay. She glanced at her alarm clock and saw, to her surprise, that it was already past eight. Lien got up and began to prepare a simple meal for herself. After grilling a couple of rashers of bacon, she cut the meat up, made some rice, and mixed the bacon into it. She ate her meal, and decided to watch the TV for a while. By pure luck, she came across a documentary on the rainforest, and settled down to enjoy it. Ten minutes later, the Vietnamese girl was fast asleep.

It was around midnight when she felt herself being jostled. She opened her eyes wearily and saw Mei stood by her with a torch in one hand, looking concerned. Lien blinked owlishly in the sudden light.

"What time is it?"

Mei checked her phone.

"Fifty minutes to one. You should be in bed."

Lien frowned at the odd turn of phrase before she grasped what Mei was saying.

"You could just say it's ten past twelve, Mei."

The bubbly Taiwanese girl smiled.

"Well I could, but that would NOT be fun at all! I was at a night club until half past eleven, and took a walk back here. I've been all over the city today, it's really nice to see all the fashion shops here."

Lien got up slowly, Mei keeping the light on her.

"I didn't do a lot, I went shopping, got some new books, and went to the library. You shouldn't walk home late at night, Mei, around here can be dangerous."

Unfazed, Mei giggled.

"Oh, alright then MOTHER, I'll get a taxi next time. Do you know an Arthur Kirkland?"

Lien shrugged as she yawned widely.

"Only a bit, why?"

"I got talking to him, he seems a nice guy. His brother Peter tried to get into the night club but he's only about eleven, so that didn't work. I also met a girl from Ukraine who seemed to have ALL the guys watching her, she has absolutely MASSIVE..."

Lien held up her hand, all too aware of Katyusha Braginski's curse and gift. Someone had started the rumour for some reason that the Ukrainian girls' parents had fertile land in their home country, and a lot of conversation regarding her often made mention of her having 'huge tracts of land'. She made her way to her room, but Mei kept following her, chatting away about a pair of Italian twins who had been very kind to her, a cute Japanese boy who had also been flustered around her, and Berwald and Tino. Lien sat on her bed as Mei told her about her evening, torn between what to do. Despite only just meeting the Taiwanese girl, she liked her quite a bit, and it was a nice change to have someone so bubbly. On the other hand, she was keen to get back to sleep. She got up off her bed, flicked the light on, and gestured to her bedside chair. Mei sat in it quickly, waiting to get on with her story. Lien sat on her bed, feelingly oddly like a mother with a child who was too excited to sleep.

"Alright, carry on. I didn't want you to get uncomfortable or anything."

Mei immediately carried with her chatter, unwittingly drawing the Vietnamese girl's ire when she mentioned Alfred. However, she felt a slight pang of an emotion she couldn't quite place, - was it jealousy?- when Mei mentioned Matthew and spoke about how cute he was. It was almost one in the morning when Mei finally finished telling Lien about her evening out.

"Next time, you should come with me!"

Lien shrugged.

"I may do, it depends on the work I have to do. I finished an essay this evening, but it still took four hours to do. I suppose I should go out, it can't hurt."

Mei giggled.

"Of course it can't! Well, thanks for listening to me. I'm going to go to bed now, I'll see you in the morning!"

Mei got up and left Lien alone in her room. The Vietnamese girl got changed, turned out the light, and was asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.

Author's note

hậu môm is Vietnamese for 'asshole'. I wrote Vietnam as loathing America because of the Vietnam War and how a lot of Americans assert that they won when it was essentially a draw.


	3. Chapter 3

**Invulnerable**

Sunday was typically Lien's day to either relax or finish up essays. With relatively few friends to hang out with, it was normal for the Vietnamese girl to either complete any outstanding coursework or pursue her casual interests, most of which were based on her university life. About her only hobby that didn't focus entirely around climatology was a vague interest in the planets Jupiter and Saturn, but even then it was more to do with the gas planets' storm systems and how cyclones lasted and worked on other worlds. Almost all of her spare time was put into advancing her goal. She blinked as the music from nearby woke her up, blaring words that sounded oddly like 'Pon' and 'Way'. Pulling on her green dressing gown, she walked sleepily out of her room and knocked on Mei's door. Hastily the music was silenced and Mei opened the door looking guilty.

"I'm SO sorry Lien, I like to dance on Sunday mornings and I completely forgot that you probably wanted a lie-in."

Upon seeing how sorry her room-mate was, Lien decided against chewing her out and simply sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't mind you dancing and things, Mei, it's just Sunday is usually my day to relax and I got pretty tired last night."

Mei nodded and beckoned Lien inside. The weary Vietnamese girl shook her head.

"I'm going to try and sleep a bit more. Dance if you want to, just try not to wake me up."

As she turned to go, Mei grabbed her upper arm. Lien looked at her bubbly room-mate, starting to feel slightly irritated.

"What is it you want Mei?"

Mei gulped and babbled her request to her stoic friend.

"I need someone to practice on and Emma can't make it today. Could I borrow you later on please?"

Lien frowned, more confused by the nature of the request than irate at being denied sleep.

"Someone to practice on? Is this part of your coursework?"

Mei nodded.

"You see, I'm doing a course in fashion, and I'm hoping to become a dressmaker as a career. I can't exactly make a dress and try it on myself at the same time, and my friend Emma can't spare any time today. So I was hoping you'd let me make a dress to fit you."

Lien looked unsure at Mei's request. Hoping to sway her new friend, Mei pulled a mournful face, although the effect was somewhat ruined by her inability to look serious for any real length of time. Lien shrugged and shook her head, trying hard to hide her smile at Mei's expression.

"Oh fine then. What kind of dress is it you're making?"

Mei's eyes lit up.

"Any kind you want! Thank you for this, Lien!"

Lien rubbed her eyes, thinking longingly of getting back to sleep.

"Alright then, make me an ao dai when I wake up please. Don't wake me up again if you can help it."

She left her room-mate and headed back to bed. As soon as she lay down she was fast asleep again.

Three hours later, Lien was awake and showering. She dressed hastily and knocked on Mei's door. The Taiwanese girl opened it and grinned happily at Lien.

"I hope you like green, I've got loads of green fabric!"

Lien walked in and was soon being measured in every way conceivable by the aspiring fashion student. Before she was quite aware where the day had gone, Mei had cut out pieces of fabric that were perfect for an ao dai, trimmed them around the edges with silk, and was putting the entire ensemble together. Lien watched Mei work, silently marvelling at her skill and wondering how she'd become so talented. Soon, she stood up, holding a completed green ao dai in her slightly shaking hands.

"Here you go Lien, all done. I'm sorry it took so long."

Lien took the completed dress from her with a look of surprise.

"Took so long? Mei, I don't think it could have been any quicker. Thank you for this, I do appreciate it. I'll go and change in the bathroom and you can admire your work."

After a hasty change of clothing, Lien walked back into Mei's room wearing her new dress. Given how cold it was outside, it wouldn't be practical to wear it much in the winter time. But come the warmer months, it would be very nice to wear. Lien noted with some surprise that Mei had actually designed it with pockets sewn into the pattern, and stood still as Mei approached nervously. The Taiwanese girl walked around her several times, examining the seams and everything else about the dress before stopping in front of Lien.

"Well, d-do you like it?"

Lien looked at Mei. In the brief time she'd known her, she'd come to believe the Taiwanese girl was hyperactive, bubbly, cheerful and maybe even a bit silly. But now, seeing her worried over something so much made her wonder what had made the girl so afraid of failure. Mei's smile didn't fade, but she actually began to quake when Lien didn't respond. Lien spoke up.

"Mei, I love it. Thank you."

Mei blinked her big brown eyes before suddenly hugging her. Lien blinked in surprise, gently patting Mei on the back in absence of a proper response. She'd never been too much of a touchy feely kind of girl, although there had been a few exceptions to that rule throughout her life, such as when she'd gone up in her father's friend's plane. Mei let go and smiled at her room-mate.

"Do you want to do anything today? It's only just gone past midday, we could maybe catch a movie or something. My treat!"

Lien shrugged.

"Well I suppose so, what's on?"

Mei opened her laptop and waited impatiently for the machine to start up. When it did, she opened the website for the nearest cinema and opened a list.

"Well it seems they all start within a few minutes of one another, so we could just decide when we get there if you want."

Lien walked into her room and picked up her satchel, checking it quickly for her usual items; her purse, mobile phone, and other bits and pieces. Slinging her satchel over her shoulder, Lien walked into the living room and began to put her shoes on. Mei soon followed and the two girls left for the cinema.

Upon arriving at the cinema, Mei was back to her bubbly self. She gave a delighted squeal on seeing a Pixar film and pulled eagerly on Lien's arm.

"Come on, hurry, I'll get the tickets and the sweets and we'll go for this one here!"

Lien frowned slightly at Mei's choice.

"Hasn't this film already been out? I haven't been to the cinema in a while, but I heard about it a few months ago."

Mei blinked at her friend as they joined the short line for their tickets.

"Oh yes, it has been, but this cinema does reruns of old films every Sunday. I didn't get to see this film when it was out because I was too busy with coursework. Anyway, what sweets would you like, and what to drink?"

Lien looked at the packets of confectionary around them.

"I'm not too fussy, you can pick if you want."

"I've chosen mine, you can pick yours now. We're almost at the front of the line, hurry!"

"Alright then, Maltesers."

Mei grabbed a bag off the rack and the two girls moved to the head of the line where they got their tickets and paid for their sweets. Mei all but skipped into the screen and promptly seized some of the best seats for her and Lien. The stoic Vietnamese girl sat down next to her room-mate as the lights dimmed and the credits began.

Some time later, both girls were leaving the cinema with varied feelings on the film they'd just seen. Mei sniffed and dabbed at her eyes again as they walked out into the cold streets.

"That film was just _adorable_, I _loved _it so much!"

Lien's stoic expression softened somewhat as she adjusted her satchel to sit more comfortably on her shoulder.

"It was quite touching, I won't deny that. I've never been a big fan of cartoonish films, but that one was pretty sweet."

Mei smiled at Lien, almost getting a reaction out of her.

"I can see why so many people loved it."

"I would have loved it more if those idiots in front of us had actually shut up and let us watch it in peace."

The Taiwanese girl stopped, checking her watch. Lien paused and turned around.

"What is it Mei?"

Mei looked up.

"We _could_ go and see another one; that ticket seller said they were valid all day because it's rerun day."

Lien shrugged.

"Well I'm fairly tired after this one. If you want to go see another then I'll wait for you at home."

Mei looked torn between going to see another film for free and staying with Lien. In the end she shrugged.

"Alright then, I'll see you later on."

Waving, the Taiwanese girl walked briskly back into the cinema. Lien turned around and walked back to their apartment, not paying proper attention to where she was going. Before she quite knew it, she had bumped into a boy seemingly about her age with blonde hair and glasses. She vaguely recognised him as he looked up, but couldn't place the name or the face.

"Careful there miss."

She shook her head as if to apologise and was about to continue on her way when the boy spoke up.

"You're in Professor Smith's meteorology class aren't you?"

Lien nodded and stood still.

"I am, yes. Lien, Lien Cheng."

The boy adjusted his glasses slightly.

"I'm Eduard. Eduard von Bock. I'm also studying meteorology, along with geology and vulcanology."

Lien narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Those sound difficult courses. Are you hoping to study the effects of large-scale volcanic eruptions on the climate?"

Eduard blinked several times before smiling.

"Very perceptive of you. Yes, I am. Recently I've been writing about lava lakes throughout the world."

Lien nodded.

"Sounds interesting. Maybe I'll see you around campus again some time."

Eduard flashed a bright smile that made Lien feel as if she was blushing.

"I'll keep an eye out for you. Goodbye for now."

He turned and carried on the way he was going. Lien continued her walk home, and in twenty minutes was opening the door to her apartment. Without Mei there, the rooms seemed more than empty. Settling on the sofa, she put the TV on and flicked through the channels, watching nothing in particular until she found a documentary coincidentally about volcanoes. She wasn't hugely interested in eruptions, but in absence of anything else to watch, she turned up the volume and settled down to wait for Mei to return.

It was dark by the time Mei returned to the apartment. Outside, a powerful wind had begun and it was freezing cold. The Taiwanese girl walked in, turned on the lamp and sat beside Lien, hugging one of the cushions. Lien looked up and almost seemed to smile at Mei.

"So, what else did you see?"

Mei blinked and gave a radiant smile.

"I saw Monsters Inc as well as Toy Story. But Up was the best of the three."

"Are you hungry? I wasn't sure if you'd have eaten or not so I didn't make anything, and you haven't told me your phone number so I couldn't call you."

Mei shook her head.

"I had some food before I came home, there was a pizza place not far from the cinema. There was a really sweet guy in there who had yellow eyes, just like yours, Lien."

Lien blinked and shrugged.

"That _does_ sound odd. Do you want to call it a night?"

Mei shook her head.

"No way you're going to bed so early, it's only just half past five! I've got some DVDs we can watch."

"More movies?"

"No, these are cartoons. A lot of them are American ones, but I've got a series from Taiwan if you want to see that."

Lien didn't respond immediately, but got up to go into the kitchen. Mei took it as a sign she was to choose, so she selected a DVD and put it into the player, settling down for a long evening of amusement. Lien soon came back and sat down with her.

Four hours and twelve episodes of Family Guy later, both girls were very drowsy indeed. Mei wearily got up and turned the TV and DVD player off and smiled wearily at Lien.

"Well, I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight Lien."

Lien nodded and got up off the sofa.

"And to you Mei. Oh, before I forget, Tino says there's a Christmas party on the 21st of December, and he's selling tickets. Are you interested in going?"

Mei gave a sleepy giggle as she turned to walk into her room.

"I'd love to!"

The Taiwanese girl walked into her room and shut the door. Lien turned off the lamp and made her way into her own room to bed down for the night. Outside, the wind had got stronger, and even inside Lien could hear it easily. She fell onto her bed, still fully dressed, and fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Invulnerable**

Lien was up early on Monday morning, but almost regretted waking up straight away. Outside, torrential rain was pouring down, driven by the strong, cold wind. Even inside it was colder than normal. Grumbling at the inclement weather, Lien was sorely tempted to call in unwell for university. Given her diligence, she'd probably be believed, but she'd gone in rigourously even when she'd had a bad cold, although she was quick to heal from colds normally. She got up off her comfortable bed, and walked into the living room quietly, not wanting to wake Mei. She looked in the hall and soon saw her umbrella was still there. Nodding to herself, she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of milk to help wake herself up. Yawning widely, she drained the glass and decided to get ready for university even though it was over two hours before her first lecture. She showered and dressed and sat in her room, her portable heater already on full blast to try and warm the room up. She opened her new book and began to leaf through it, stopping when she saw the mention of the tornado that had destroyed her home. She read out loud to herself as if in a trance.

"Notable large tornadoes that have struck areas unused to even minor tornadoes include the EF 4 that hit Vietnam on April 16th 2000, killing over a hundred people, a stark reminder that nowhere on Earth is safe."

She gently dabbed at her eyes, impatiently telling herself that she was no longer eight years old, and did not cry any more. The tickling sensation at the back of her eyes begged to differ, but she closed the book and packed it into her bag. She double checked her essay, and placed it inside her folder, silently hoping it would be enough. Her use of handwriting instead of computer documents had raised a few eyebrows among her teachers, but none could deny that the Vietnamese girl gave all she had when it came to written work. Lien got up off her bed and walked to the window. Outside, the rain had lessened somewhat, but it was still windy. Frowning, Lien pushed the curtains shut and picked up her bag. Although it was still over an hour before her first lesson, she hoped to get to the library and do some studying before anyone else was there. She quietly left her apartment and her sleeping room-mate, picking up her umbrella as she walked outside.

Walking to the campus was normally only a ten minute affair in good weather. But with the wind blowing in her face, and a very persistent drizzle that seemed to get around even walls being blown along with it, Lien was hurrying to make it as quick as possible. Some fifteen minutes later, she was irately pushing the front door open, shaking off her umbrella as she walked inside. It was only just eight o'clock, so Lien made her way up to the library on the first floor, silently thinking how odd it was to see the university so quiet and empty. She climbed the stairs and made her way into the library, an almost-smile crossing her face. The library in her university was huge, and had a very large collection of books. A large section had row upon row of hi-tech computers, and in the middle was a number of comfortable chairs and desks for students to study at. The library off campus looked tacky and cheap in comparison. She walked straight for the section on meteorology and soon found that the book she had wanted to read was gone. Frowning, she was about to settle for another when she suddenly saw someone walking past with the book she wanted tucked under their arm. She darted out of the aisle and spoke up, sub-consciously keeping her voice low.

"Excuse me, but I'd like to borrow that book you've got."

Turning around in surprise, Eduard looked at Lien.

"Oh, good morning Lien. You're up early."

Lien blinked several times before finding her voice again.

"So are you."

Eduard hefted the book he'd picked up.

"Yes, I have quite a bit of study to do on the climate of Ethiopia, particularly the area around the Afar Depression. I may be some time with this book I'm afraid."

Lien shrugged and went back among the books, settling on a lesser one. She took it out, sat at a table, and began to read it closely, pausing every so often to write something down in her notebook. For the next hour, neither Eduard or Lien moved from their respective seats, their eyes never looking at anything besides their books and preferred methods of recording. Finally, the first bell of the day rang, signalling that the first lessons would begin in half an hour. Lien jumped at the sound, but Eduard remained impassive. His fingers tapped away on his laptop as he typed out something about a volcano known as 'Erta Ale' or some such. Lien replaced her book and made a beeline for the door. Eduard raised a hand in farewell, halting the Vietnamese student in her tracks. She waved in response and walked out of the library, heading to lecture room 42. Her tutor for the day was already there, and nodded upon seeing Lien.

"Bright and early again, Lien? That's what I like to see. Do you have your assignment?"

Lien opened her bag and passed over the papers. Her tutor gave a low whistle of surprise and silently put them into his bag, crossing Lien's name off a list as he did so. Lien took her seat near the front of the class as the second bell rang and the students began to file in.

For the entire morning, Lien found concentration hard to come by. Her mind was plagued with thoughts about her new room mate, who had bent over backwards to be nice to her despite only just meeting her, and the studious, yet handsome Eduard she'd bumped into. She couldn't recall being so distracted by any one person, let alone two, and was jolted out of her reverie by the tutor speaking her name. She blinked and looked up.

"Sorry?"

Her tutor sighed.

"Have you been listening, Miss Cheng?"

A few sniggers broke out around the room. Trying hard to keep her flushing cheeks under control, Lien decided to gamble, something the Vietnamese girl was very good at but almost never had to put into practice.

"Yes, I have been."

"Then you can tell us what name is given to the powerful gust of wind that often accompanies a supercell."

Fortunately, luck was on her side that morning.

"Vertical wind shear."

Her tutor nodded, and the sniggers died away. Lien tried her utmost to keep the thoughts of Mei and Eduard at bay as she waited out the rest of the lesson.

Lunchtime was typically not one of Lien's favourite times of a university day. Finding a quiet spot to eat was no small task; inevitably some idiot or other would find her and ruin her peace. Quite a number of the campus's students had learned the hard way that the Vietnamese girl was not to be trifled with, but there always seemed to be more people insistent on pushing their luck, and she had been spoken to more than once about her violence. During the warmer months it was easier to find a quiet spot, but today, the cafeteria was packed with students. Waiting impatiently to pay for her food, Lien looked around the cafeteria and saw only one table that wasn't crowded. Paying for her meal, she walked over to the table and sat down. Only one other girl was sat there, reading a book about chocolate. Lien frowned slightly, unable to place the name of the girl. She had bright blonde, slightly curly hair, and a pleasant, friendly expression. She glanced up at Lien and gave a bright smile.

"Aren't you Lien Cheng?"

Lien nodded as she sat down with her food.

"I am, yes, how did you know?"

The girl offered her hand, her smile not fading.

"My name's Emma, have you forgotten? We bumped into one another on Saturday, remember? Mei Xiao is a friend of mine, she mentioned you yesterday when she called me."

Lien's suspicions rose slightly.

"What did she say about me?"

Emma laughed, her smile never fading.

"Oh, nothing bad! She said you were from Vietnam originally, came here a while ago, and after something that happened with Alfred Jones, you were put in a double apartment and Mei moved in with you very recently. I'm all the way from Europe."

Lien nodded as she began to eat.

"There's not a lot more than that to tell, I'm studying meteorology and it seems you're doing cookery."

Emma closed her book and nodded.

"Yes, I've always been interested in delicious things like chocolate, so I made it my goal in life to one day open a..."

"Hey Lien, how are ya babe?"

Lien's expression darkened as Alfred Jones clapped her on the shoulder. Emma looked at the brash American without any real hostility. Ignoring the glower of death he was getting from the Vietnamese girl, the university's self-proclaimed hero sat beside her.

"So what is it you want for Christmas; maybe the hero could give you a kiss in advance or maybe..."

"Alfred, stop."

The soft, almost musical voice of Matthew Williams cut across his brother's boasting, egotistical speech. Alfred looked up at his brother, still grinning like an idiot.

"What's up bro? Are you looking for tips on how to pick up girls so you can finally pop the question to that chick from..."

"Alfred, leave Lien alone. Can't you see she doesn't like you?"

Lien was glaring at the American. If looks could kill, he would most certainly be well on his way to the afterlife by now. Alfred caught sight of Lien's glower and the message finally seemed to sink in.

"Well the hero's got places to be, babe. See ya."

Getting up, Alfred left the cafeteria. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go when Emma pulled a chair out.

"Sit with us for a bit, Matthew?"

Timidly, Matthew sat down. Across the room, Gilbert Beilschmidt shouted something unintelligible, causing a number of people to laugh. Lien sighed and nodded courteously to Matthew.

"Again, thanks. Ironic that your younger brother calls himself the hero when you're more heroic than he'll ever be."

Matthew blushed at Lien's unexpected compliment. Emma silently looked over the quiet Canadian whilst he looked at Lien. She smiled and began to talk.

"So what are you studying here, Matthew? I'm doing cookery myself, perhaps you'd like to try one of these?"

Reaching into her bag, the Belgian girl brought out a tin of chocolate treats which she then offered to Lien and Matthew. Lien politely declined, but Matthew took one and sampled it cautiously. His bluish-violet eyes lit up and he smiled warmly at Emma.

"They're very nice, you make lovely chocolates, Emma."

Emma replaced the lid and nodded.

"I'm quite proud of this batch. Are you going to ask Katyusha Braginski to the Christmas dance?"

Lien blinked in surprise.

"Are you two dating, Matthew?"

The shy Canadian flushed red and mumbled something that sounded like 'sort of'. Emma chuckled teasingly at him.

"Then can you tell us what the whole 'tracts of land' thing is about and where it came from?"

Matthew nodded slightly, still red in the cheeks.

"It came from a Monty Python film. Katyusha was with me, Alfred, Arthur and a few others watching it, when Alfred said that a description in the film matched Katyusha. Someone said 'she's beautiful, she's rich, she's got huge... tracts of land'. She does have relatives in Ukraine who are farmers, and they're rich. You've probably both seen, um..."

The Canadian trailed off. Both Lien and Emma nodded understandingly. Lien looked at Matthew in interest.

"So when did you start dating her then?"

Matthew flushed again but didn't respond. Lien took the hint and changed the subject hastily to his plans for Christmas. The Canadian began to talk about the gifts he was planning on getting for his brother and parents, as well as various friends. Emma nodded and was about to ask him something when Matthew's phone beeped. Opening his mobile, the timid Canadian looked at his text message and got up, hefting his bag over his shoulder.

"I've got to sort something out, I'll see you soon."

Before either Lien or Emma could properly say goodbye, Matthew was exiting the cafeteria. Lien finished her food and sipped at her drink, wondering what to do with the rest of her day. Emma returned her book to her bag and spoke up.

"Do you like chocolate and things, Lien?"

Lien blinked and put her drink down.

"Well I do have a sweet tooth but I don't eat a lot of sweets really. I can never find ones I like."

Emma smiled brightly.

"Well Belgium is the chocolate capital of the world, and I'm working on several recipes of my own creation. Maybe you could try them for me, it really helps having a second opinion."

Lien almost smiled in return.

"Mei has offered to make me outfits, now you're offering to make me sweets? Well I can give you my opinions if you want when I get some spare time, I got an assignment today that'll take all night and it has to be in next Wednesday."

Emma turned a page and looked at Lien.

"Do you just want to get it out of the way? Nine days is a while."

The Vietnamese woman nodded.

"When it's done I can check it over for mistakes and get it corrected if need be. I'd rather do it with eight days to spare and know I've done it right than leave it until the last minute and see I've done it wrong."

The rest of her lunch break passed in companionable silence. Lien got up, bid farewell to Emma, and turned to go to her next lesson.

By the end of her lecture for the day, Lien was about to walk home when she saw Tino again, chatting to Gilbert Beilschmidt and a girl she didn't know. She approached the Finnish man, prompting a smile from him.

"Good afternoon, Lien. I was just giving Gilbert and Lili here their tickets for the dance on the 21st, do you want yours now too?"

Lien nodded and opened her purse, handing over six dollars to the cheerful Finn. Her honey-coloured eyes flicked to the albino and his small girlfriend as they departed. Tino passed her the tickets, still smiling.

"I hope you have fun at the party, Lien. Who are you bringing?"

Lien pocketed the tickets and replaced her bag over her shoulder.

"I'm still not sure. I'm fairly sure Mei will want one of these, so I might just come with her."

Tino nodded and turned to go. Lien found herself wondering if she could be more like the Finnish student. Tino was popular, generous, warm-hearted and capable of standing up for himself in the event someone came picking a fight. In comparison, she was absorbed in her work, had few friends, and a short temper. She walked home, lost in her thoughts.


End file.
